Heartless Bastards - Arrow

When I hear "blues-rock" three things come to mind. The White Stripes, The Black Keys, and Heartless Bastards. It's very fitting that the new Heartless Bastards album, Arrow, was released on Valentine's Day. Not that the album is romantic or even anti-romantic. In fact, that's just one way that this album is quite different from their previous albums.

Heartless Bastards' lead singer/songwriter/frontwoman Erika Wennerstrom has described the album as having a "super spaghetti western-type vibe." Having recently spent time in the Catskill Mountains, a cabin, and a ranch in West Texas, it's safe to say that this album has been influenced by the great outdoors. Honestly, it makes me want to chase murderers through a canyon in Arizona, armed with only a shotgun and my wits.

The album starts with "Marathon," a slow-building, moody song that hits you like a train when the whole band comes in. "I'm on my way home," croons Wennerstrom like a cowboy that's been gone too long. "Only For You" is the closest to a love song on this one, with vocals that are belted out without feeling strained at all. The "ooh's" on "Skin And Bones" are terribly beautiful and the guitar solo echoes it right back. "Got To Have Rock and Roll," "Simple Feeling," and "Late In The Night," capture the pure rock sound that Heartless Bastards are known for. The album closer, "Down In The Canyon," is a seven minute epic that builds from a slow and angry tune to an intense, fast, pissed-off rock song. Near the end, it feels as though every single member of this band is putting absolutely everything that they can into the song.

Filled with imagery of mountains and the west, this is a great album to listen to while at your cabin, rock climbing, fishing, playing hunting video games, eating steak, sitting outside, or drinking coffee. The Heartless Bastards seem to have changed as a band but that's alright. When artists don't change, they're boring. The trick is to change in an interesting way. Arrow does just that.

The Black Keys - El Camino

Before I talk about the new Black Keys album, El Camino, I need to talk about The Ramones. When The Ramones were around, the music world was filled with disco. There was a lot of popular electronic music. The world needed something that was catchy but also raw and powerful. The Ramones fit the bill. They only knew how to play one kind of song. Listen to their greatest hits and you'll see what I mean. In retrospect, they weren't great songwriters at all but they were able to provide human, catchy rock that saved the world from disco.

Fast-forward to today. Eight of the top-ten songs on iTunes are based on synthesizers and computers. Kids are listening to dubstep. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of great things in music that can be done with computers and electronics. But nothing can replace the humanity and roughness of rock. The Black Keys are what we need. They are The Ramones of today, saving us from the endless drone of robotic-tronica.

The comparison does not stop there. The Black Keys do sound a little repetitive at times. Blues-rock can only take you so far before you need to make some serious innovations and it wouldn't be a stretch to say that many of their songs sound the same. But that doesn't stop them from writing some seriously fantastic songs like "Little Black Submarines" which transitions from a slow acoustic ballad to a rolling jam. Definitely my favorite song from this album. The lead single, "Lonely Boy," is a fun pop song with an excellent guitar riff towards the end. It also has one of my favorite music videos of the year.

Producer Danger Mouse has done a great job once again. He also produced The Black Keys' last album, the very successful Brothers. The sound is tight, smooth and it plays great loud. This is the kind of album that you just leave in your car's stereo for two weeks because it makes you feel like a total badass when you listen to it while driving. It's a versatile kind of music that can fit any mood you're in. It matches your sorrow when you're upset and it makes you dance when you're happy. It can be a soundtrack to your rage and it can also improve your general level of cool when you're trying to impress someone. It's like a thermos. Hot stays hot, cool stays cool.

If you've been listening to them for years, it might be a just a tad boring. But if you're a new fan, this is the album to get. That and Rubber Factory.